In the Darkness, It's Your Hand That's Leading Me
by shawn-n-belle
Summary: As the world falls still for a moment, the silent tears fall down her perfected face but they wouldn’t go unnoticed anymore. Post 6X04.


I was very much pleased with the short Callie/Arizona scenes we had last night, but I felt like there could have been more. My little imagination went into overdrive as I watched them interact and I had to write this because, it was just too cute to pass it up. (: Besides, given the merger and the job loss, I find it ironically funny the Chief just gives Callie her job back, it was too easy, so I assume drama will follow it. But anyway, I really hope you guys like this, I tried to make it all cute and fluffy because I find our girls lacking in cute scenes lately.

Summary: As the world falls still for a moment, the silent tears fall down her perfected face but they wouldn't go unnoticed anymore. Post 6X04.

**Disclaimer: These characters are the property of Shonda Rimes, I am simply borrowing them for entertainment purposes, nothing was profited from this creation.**

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_There now, steady love, so few come and don't go _

_Will you, won't you, be the one I always know_

_When I'm losing my control, the city spins around_

_You're the only one who knows, you slow it down_

Look After You - The Fray

She had expected herself to plead, to cry, to yell at the Chief until she got her job back, until she proved to him that she was worthy of his employment. She even had a list, a list that she had worked effortlessly on for the past few nights, coffee in hand, debating why she was a much better candidate than all the rest whom presented themselves for the same position. Her reasons were excellent, nothing to be scoffed at or simply brushed aside because she, after all, rebuilt bones from metal and that was something to be proud of. She had expected hours of intense staring, as she explains to him exactly how big of a mistake he would make if he just let her walk out of his office without so much as offering her a job. Yet, when she saw him sitting in his chair, so weak, so child like, she knew that she could not ask him to do her such favor. She didn't expect him to. So when he did, it is not to say that Callie wasn't the slightest bit surprised.

This hospital was his entire life, the place where he labored for many hard hours until it reached perfection, until it became one of the most respected medical centers in Seattle. Yet, he was also the one who was standing by and single handed watched the hospital succumb to the hot mess that is. He had grown to care for his employees as if they were his own children, for they should be as much, considering he saw them more than his own family. Now he was the one who was telling them that there was no longer a place here for them since the merger, he was the one who was turning them away from the income that their families so desperately needed. Handling this with such care and strength, made Callie respect the Chief more than she ever had before, the fact that he was willing to let her become an attending even though their words a few weeks before had been anything but civil, made her realize exactly what kind of man Richard Webber truly was.

Moving was an option that she didn't want to consider, Seattle had became her home. People here cared for her and she cared just as passionately back for them, even if she didn't always want to admit it. Mark had became her best friend, the douche of a guy that she could always go running to with no judgments or no shame. George's spirit was here, whilst his death was something she did want to forget, she knew that moving away from the places that she had been so lucky to share with him, would not ease her guilt. But more importantly, _Arizona_ was here. The girl who kissed her in the bathroom at Joe's, the girl who stood up to her without so much as flinching when her Latin temper presented itself, the girl who could pick her up even though she was in million pieces and make her feel complete again. No, she couldn't just pack up her things and leave Arizona behind, she was too involved now, too dependent on her bright smile to be without her even for a second.

She stands in front of the nursery, watching as her tired girlfriend cradled the small infant wrapped up in a pink blanket in her arms. There was something so perfect about the way that Arizona looked holding the baby, how she talked to the small child even though the baby had absolutely no idea what she was talking about, the way that she looked so at ease holding the most precious gift the world could ever bless someone with. It was innocent, it was pure and it was just enough to put her heart at ease, to stop the constant thoughts that caused the pain of her scars to feel as fresh as the day that they were made. Arizona smiles at the baby girl in her arms as she brushes the small brunette curl around the top of her heart, whispering something to her and Callie can not stop the smile from playing at her lips.

How was it even possible that she could be with someone like her? For so long she kept her walls up, her self independent attitude had gotten her through a lot of the darkest nights of her life but then Arizona just walks in, a smile on her face and she can hardly even catch her breath. She recalls how she just stormed into the bathroom after her at Joe's, how she kissed her as if she had known her for a great amount of time but instead the only thing she knew of her was what the nurses told. She remembers how she couldn't get her off her mind since the night, interested, intrigued, she couldn't wait to pass her in the hallway just to get a glimpse of her smile, to get a whiff of her perfume. Arizona had captured her in that one moment without even trying, she made her weak in the knees with that one bashful smile without even knowing. Serious relationships had never ended well for her, George slept with Izzie, Erica left her without so much as a goodbye or an explanation. She swore that she would never involve herself in another hospital affair but Arizona was quite different than all the rest, she couldn't _not _be with her.

She watches her with the baby and she can't help but thinking that someday that will be their baby. She chuckles inwardly with a soft roll of her eyes, they only became official girlfriends practically a week ago, but she couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life with her. She recalls what her mother used to say when she was struggling with boys, 'when you've met the one, you just know'. Now was the time when she just _knew_ and she could not wait to see what the years had in store for the two of them.

Arizona's sparkling blue eyes quickly caught hers and the blond smiles softly, motioning for her to come into the nursery. Callie smiles, nodding her head as she grabs a pair of pink scrubs from the nurses station, tying them around her body before she enters the small, quiet room. She softly walks over to her girlfriend who was resting in the rocking chair, watching the baby in her arms as she slowly began to drift asleep. She looks at her disheveled girlfriend who was fighting off her own sleep deprivation and her heart nearly skips a beat at the beauty in front of her.

"Did you talk to the Chief?" Arizona asks, suppressing the yawn that struggles to escape from her warm pink lips. Callie takes the small baby's chubby hand in her own, rubbing soft circles as the little girl looks up at her with the same sparkling blue eyes that Arizona has. She feels everything inside of her melt and she is amazed at how something so small can make her feel so big.

"Yeah. Actually, I did. And I didn't yell or cry or tell him why I was better than all the rest. I wasn't even going to say anything to him, honestly. Because he is in the worst position right now, making these cuts, it's killing him and I didn't want to make him feel pressured. But he uh… he offered me my job back," Callie explains with a soft laugh and Arizona simply nods her head before she refocuses her attention back to the baby. "I'm an official Surgical Attending, Ari!" Her voice squeaks in excitement and Arizona smiles as she slowly stands, placing the baby back in the small crib.

"That's great, Calliope. I'm happy for you. Really," Arizona fakes a smile, nodding her head swiftly, placing the small blanket over the baby. The silence falls around them for a long moment as the curly blond struggles to catch her breath, she swallows the cry in her throat and instead she only sniffles, "I'm sorry. I can't really talk, I have to go check on my kid. She uh…she has…something…I just…I have to.." She turns to leave and it is then that Callie notices the tears that are falling down her cheeks. She inwardly gasps as she wraps her fingers around her wrist, pulling her hard toward her as their eyes collide hard together, the passionate fire catching in both of them.

"Hey. Hey! Arizona…" Callie's voice is quiet, small, as she struggles to think of the comforting words that the blond has whispered to her so many times. She stares into her beautiful blue eyes, it is only then that she notices the pain that is written in her different swirls of blue, it is then that she notices just how broken the girl is that is standing before her. Arizona sniffles as she brushes the tears away with her free hand, faking the smallest of weak smiles.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it. It's okay. I just…I have to go," Arizona lies, trying to free herself from Callie's grasp but the raven haired beauty only holds tighter to her, her brow wrinkled, her eyes full of sympathy and compassion.

"No. You're _not _okay. You don't just cry because you are _okay_, you don't ever cry…ever. At least you don't in front of me, so that means that whatever is bothering you is a big deal. And I am not just going to stand here and watch you walk away from me, you are my girlfriend and that means that I am going to worry about you. That means that I am going to rip off the idiot's head that made you upset because that is my job now," Callie demands and Arizona sniffles with a weak laugh, rolling her eyes playfully and the small smile once again appears on Callie's perfected lips.

"What's wrong, Ari? What happened?" Callie intrigues in a quiet voice, careful to not wake the sleeping babies that surround her. She stares at the beautiful woman in front of her, trying so desperately to figure out what could have ever possibly made her break down. For as long as she knew her, Arizona had kept her walls up, kept her emotions inside, becoming the strong tower that she needed her to be when everything was falling apart, becoming the shoulder that she needed to lean on when nobody else was around.

"It's nothing. Really. It's stupid that I even get upset over it. I'm just being a girl. I promise, it's nothing to worry yourself over," Arizona explains with a forced laugh and Callie simply shakes her head, her lips pursed together and her brow wrinkled.

"I bet it's _not_ stupid," Callie smiles weakly and Arizona rolls her eyes with a soft curse.

"God, you really are stubborn, you know that, Torres?" Arizona jokes with a smile and Callie simply shrugs her shoulders, reaching forward as she allows her fingers to slip through the blond's curls far to easily, causing both of them to shiver at the brief meeting of skin.

"I learned from the best. Now are you going to tell me or are we going to have to stand here all night, providing these little babies with a free show that I am so sure their parents would not approve of. I'm not backing down from you, so you are going to have to tell me whether you like it or not," Callie demands, her jaw locking tightly and Arizona rolls her eyes with a groan as she quickly breaks her intense gaze that she has been sharing with the raven haired beauty.

"Christ, Calliope! It's nothing, okay?! It is nothing that I didn't already expect would happen! I haven't been on staff here at Seattle Grace that long anyway, my contract doesn't really mean anything, especially with the merger coming. It only makes sense that the original employees get to keep their jobs, like you. I knew it would happen, I just… I was hoping it wouldn't," Arizona explains, twisting her fingers in her hair, tugging just slightly as she lets out a crying laugh. Callie stood dumbstruck, her lips parted as she sucks in a small, quiet breath, her heart breaking for the girl that held every piece of her heart.

"W-what? I-I don't understand," Callie stutters and Arizona smiles with a simple shrug of her shoulders, tears glistening in her perfect eyes as she tries to keep them from falling yet again.

"I lost my job. It's not really a big deal, I mean…I saw it coming. You guys have been here practically since your medical careers began and I've only been here for nearly a year and a half. Makes sense that the Chief chooses to keep you guys over me. You got to be a surgical attending because a spot opened up on the staff, _my_ spot. And I'm happy for you, God, I am _so_ happy for you. And I know that I shouldn't get upset over it because they are other jobs but I liked this one. I liked you!" Arizona cries, the tears freely falling down her cheeks now, the raspy breaths becoming uneven as she struggles to see through the blinding hot tears in her eyes. Callie's lips move yet the comforting words that the blond needs to hear, suddenly seem not to exist, instead she only watches her with tears in her own eyes.

"Ari, I am _so_ sorry. I don't…uh…I don't know what to say," Callie stutters, watching as the tears fall from her girlfriend's eyes and her heart breaks knowing there is nothing she can do to stop the pain that was suddenly eating away at her girlfriend.

"I loved working here. I loved helping this little kids because when they look up at you, it gives it all meaning, you know? They look at you like you have all the answers in the world and I love giving them second chances, I love healing their families. I loved working with Dr. Bailey because she is so strong and I admire her **so **much, I never…I never really told her that. And I loved getting to see you every day, having lunch with, watching you smile at something that really isn't that funny and now I…I can't do that. Working here is the best thing that ever happened to me and now…it's just…it's gone," Arizona cries, struggling to catch her breath as Callie watches helplessly.

"And I've been trying to be so strong around you because of George. I mean, I know that I didn't really know him but watching you hurt over him, it reminds me of Benjamin and his death. We never really dealt with it in my family, my father he just became a mess of a drunk and he took it out on me because I was his 'gay' daughter, my mother ended up killing herself. And I just…I know that I shouldn't think about it, I should be strong for you because that is what you deserve but I watch all of you mourn George and it makes me think back to losing my brother, losing my mother and that innocence, that safe place. I've been keeping it in telling myself that it was stupid because it happened nearly two years ago, I kept telling myself that now was not the time to break down because you needed me and I wasn't going to let you down. I thought I was over it but clearly I'm not. Losing this job, losing Benjamin and losing you…I can't handle it, anymore," Arizona weeps and Callie stops, sucking in a hard breath as she places her hands on her girlfriend's shoulders, giving them a tight squeeze, catching her attention.

"Losing me? What are you talking about? You haven't lost me," Callie states so simply and Arizona laughs bitterly, the tears stinging in both of the girl's eyes. Arizona shakes her head as she steps back, freeing herself from the tendering touch that could stop her heart in one soft motion.

"Not _yet_ but I will. You are going to be busy here, trying to make your stand against all of the Mercy West employees, trying to prove your worth. You are going to be pulling all of these weird hours that means that I'll never get to see you. I won't be there to have lunch with you or make special visits to see you even though I have patients who need my assistance. When you do get home, you'll be too tired to go out with me, or too tired for me to come over. Not to mention that there will be hot doctors who find you extremely attractive from Mercy West, I mean, people talk and I'm sure they all know exactly how amazing you are. You are going to realize that it is easier to be with someone that you see every day instead of someone that you used to. And then you are going to break up with me, telling me that we are better off as friends even though we both know that it is just saying 'go away'. And I can't…I can't lose you," Arizona cries and Callie only stands there, dumbstruck as a weak laugh escapes from her. Instead of saying anything, she wraps her arms around the weeping blond, pulling her hard into her body. She runs her fingers through her loose curls as she breathes her in, counting every time that she allows a shaky breathy to escape her.

"You're not going to lose me," Callie states as she pulls away, cupping Arizona's face in her hand, brushing away the stray tears from her face, ignoring the aching pain that came with the soft meeting of their perfect skin.

"You don't know that," Arizona sniffles and Callie only smiles.

"No, you're wrong. I **do** know that because I know that there is nobody else that I would ever want to be with other than you. Nobody from Mercy West is ever going to make me feel the way that you do when they look at me, nobody is going to barge into Joe's bathroom, tell me how amazing I am, kiss me and leave me breathless. They are _not_ you, Ari. And I don't want nobody but you," Callie states so simply, as if it was the answers to all the questions that had been haunting the two of them lately.

"What about the hours? What about the days that go by where we don't see each other? What about all the days that will pass where you are too busy or too tired to talk to me? Distance can ruin a relationship, even ours," Arizona points out, the tears still very present in her eyes and Callie sighs, ignoring the tears that were forming in her own dark brown orbs.

"Or it can make a relationship stronger. I'm not going to lie, the hours are going to be rough, obviously but I don't care how tired or how stressed or how busy I am, I am always going to make time for you. I can't go a day without talking to you, I'm that involved, I'm that dependent on you. I care too much about you to let this merger take you away from me, no matter what the cost is. I am not going to stand by and watch you walk away from me, or watch the Chief take you away from me, no after everything the two of you have been through together. I need you. Even if I don't always say it or even if I don't always show it, I do. And nothing is going to change that," Callie explains, her jaw locking tightly and Arizona can only sniffle, nodding her head softly.

"Good, because I don't think I could handle losing you too," Arizona whispers, her voice weak and child like. Callie smiles as she cups her face in her hands as she pulls her close to her, allowing her lips to collide softly with hers. It was as if the entire world came to a spinning stop, as if all the worries that had once been plaguing the girls fell away, as if nothing else mattered but the passion that was consuming the both of them. Arizona's fingers became twisted in her hair as she smiles into the kiss, a muffled laugh hidden in the back of her throat. Softly, Callie pulls away, leaving her forehead against hers, gazing into the perfect blue orbs that stole her breath.

"I'm not going anywhere, and nobody is going to make me. Have a little faith, Ari. Believe in us, believe in me and believe in my love for you. Believe that no matter what comes our way, the two of us are going to overcome it. Because this is too good, we are _too_right for me to not fight for us," Callie explains and Arizona pulls away, a bashful grin now very much present on her face.

"Did you just say that you loved me?" Arizona asks, batting her eyelashes carefully and a large smile creeps on the raven beauty's face. She softly intertwines her fingers around hers, pulling her close to her and she can not stop the warmth that now crashes into her like waves into a shore.

"What I'm saying is that in the morning, you and I will tag team the Chief. I will explain to him how all of the kids bond so quickly and easily with you, how they trust nobody else but you to care for them. I will tell him of how the entire staff is practically in love with you and your perky attitude. I'll tell him that Dr. Bailey adores you and then I'll explain to him exactly how perfect you are for this job. Then I'll tell him that you and I are a packaged deal. If he wants me then he must hire you, which I'm sure that with one bat of your long eyelashes, he'll be practically throwing himself at you to offer you that job. But, Ari, even if he doesn't offer you the job, we'll figure it out. Together. We'll find our own place, our own time, and we'll be together. Everything is going to be okay, you have to believe that everything is going to work out for us. We are too right, too perfect together for things to not play out in our favor," Callie smiles and Arizona chuckles as she pulls her into another long kiss. Their lips fit so perfectly together, as if they are alive to music, knowing when to deepen, when to break, knowing each and every perfected move as if it were all a game. Suddenly a soft cry breaks them apart as Arizona glances down at the small little girl who is wailing in her crib, her legs kicking wildly.

"Aw. Looks like little Erin is awake from her nap. Hi, baby. Hi," Arizona smiles down at her, placing her hand upon her head and a sigh of relief escapes from her, "her fever broke. Thank God. You want to hold her?" She asks her girlfriend and Callie looks at her in surprise, worry quickly etched onto every perfect feature upon her face.

"I don't know. Are you sure? I mean, I did drop Aria once and Mom like, never let me hold her ever again. I might break her," Callie exclaims and Arizona laughs as she picks the small child up from the crib, all crying was suddenly ceased as Erin coos with a blubbering squeal. Arizona makes a face at her with a small laugh before she looks over at her beaming girlfriend, her heart practically skipping a beat every time she batted her long eyelashes.

"No, you'll be perfect," Arizona smiles as she places the baby in Callie's arms. Callie groans as she takes Erin in her arms, situating her just perfectly as she danced her around. Erin laughs in a squeal, causing Callie to laugh as well and Arizona just watches, such pride and admiration for her written in her eyes. She sighs contently, gnawing on her bottom lip, as her heart aches for the girl who clutched tightly to the baby as if she was her own, "look at you, you're a natural." Callie chuckles as the blush quickly forms in her cheeks, staring down at Erin, she can't help but be amazed at the miracle of life.

"Yeah, until she starts crying. I'm horrible with kids," Callie chuckles and Arizona shakes her head with a bright, beaming smile, all signs of sadness and worry quickly erased from her face, only love and happiness held their place in her eyes.

"No, you're not. You're perfect with Erin and you'll be perfect with our kids, too," Arizona exclaims as she stands beside of Callie, playing with Erin's small hand, watching as her big blue eyes darted around the nursery, taking in the scene around her. Callie allows a quiet chuckle to escape from her lips as she looks at the girl who now has her arm wrapped around her waist, her heart beating only for her, knowing that as screwed up as things are right now, things could not be better than this.

"Our kids?" Callie asks, with a raise of her eyebrow and Arizona laughs. Instead of saying anything, she places a soft kiss upon her cheek before she kisses Erin as well. She pulls away from the both of them, heading toward the door before she stops, turning back to the raven haired beauty and the small baby that could not be more content in her arms.

"Hey, Calliope?" Arizona asks and Callie looks up from Erin, her dark brown orbs colliding with a pair of innocent blue and her breath comes lost somewhere in her chest, "I love you, too." Arizona giggles before she exits from the nursery. Callie chuckles with a simple shake of her head before she starts dancing the small baby in her arms again, gazing down at the familiar blue eyes.

"Ari's crazy, isn't she? Yeah, she is. Ari is really crazy. But you know what? I'm really crazy about Ari, I think I just might be in love with her, but you can't tell any one though. It's our little secret, okay? Yeah, you won't tell her, will you? No, you're a good girl, you're very trustworthy, just like my Ari," Callie whispers as she places a soft kiss upon Erin's head, continuing to dance the small infant around in circles, blissfully unaware that a curly haired blond was watching her, with nothing but the utmost love for her hidden in the innocence of her dark blue eyes. Unaware that Arizona was just as crazy for her as well.

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**Your thoughts are the favorite part of my day. I think it would be wonderful if you would share them with me. **


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